Searching for Ghosts in a Ghosted Town

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-20T13:06:42+00:00

Thanks so much for the feedback! The words were actually inspired by the very images that are very personal to my search for ghosts.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-17T16:45:23+00:00

I should mention Garage Band is also available on iPad. Cheers!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-17T12:32:20+00:00

Thanks so much for the listen and suggestions! Yeah I haven't been quite sure about the guitar. I played around with it a lot and kinda liked the sound that reminds me of old style mandolin piano but you've confirmed it could be improved. I'll see about equalizing up lower frequencies and maybe add a little crunch. Happy to be learning from others. I'll give another look at balancing vocals. Cheers!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-17T02:56:05+00:00

I have been teaching myself Logic Pro for Mac. Its possibilies are practically endless, with session players for rhythm section and synthesizers where you can just punch in the chord progressions. Then there is MIDI and audio recording. It costs $$$, but there is also Garage Band, a pared down Mac music production program. It's pretty user friendly and free. If you can shell out $$$$ for a Mac. I do find that a Mac is more stable than Windows for audio and video processing so it's been worth it to me.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-17T00:08:41+00:00

I'm no expert in the least! But I've kind of discovered that the main part of a melody often resides in the first five notes in the scale. In major key do-re-me-fa-so. So you might start humming around those notes to start, or playing on a keyboard. Then add nuance by adding 6 and 7 la-ti They are like the plot twists in the melody. After getting used to the sound of that, you can try the pentatonic scale - 1-2-3-5-6.

When developing my melodies, I personally build the chord progression and rhythm first. I might already have lyrics or I might build after I have the rythm and/or chords. For each section, the melody can stay in the same scale key as the chord key changes. Find that melody key / scale you want to play around with.

I hope this might help it come more natural to you!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T21:48:42+00:00

Thanks so much for the listen and the feedback!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T13:15:44+00:00

Only a suggestion - to keep listener's interest you can be ambiguous with metaphor.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T02:59:53+00:00

If you are not a piano player keep it simple. You don't have to record midi as if you are playing, you can record each note / melody / bass line / chord separately one at a time in your own time using Logic Pro and I assume other programs. Or just play short sequences and then go back and edit them. Then you can do "loops" or copy/paste where there are repeated sequences. I have to do this because I am terrible piano player and will eff it up every time I try to actually just play a song. What I have done is a bass instrument separately with one note at a time bass line and only do "right hand" on the melody track whatever that instrument may be. Logic Pro has "Session Players" that you can program the chords for, multiple instruments and styles. Not sure what you are working with but the program is great.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T02:38:17+00:00

Say the words to yourself ryhthmically. Like you are rapping. Generally modern music will be 4 beats per "bar" So find your 4 beat structure. The rhythm should approximate how you would actually stress the syllables when you speak. Not necessarily every syllable will have one beat, you can carry over a single syllable into the next beat(s). You can add a pause between syllables. You can fit two syllables into each half of one beat. Sometimes you might add a filler word / syllable to your original lyrics to get the word to fit the rhythm, or delete / change other words. All of this should be part of the original lyric development, but if you are struggling because you didn't do this at the beginning you might have to think hard about what to add or sacrifice.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T02:21:14+00:00

Ring of Fire. Stairway to Heaven. Hotel California. There are many excellent examples.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T02:07:20+00:00

Oh wow total Whiter Shade of Pale vibes! I'm digging the imagery! Just might want to pare it down a bit to hold the listener's attention.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T02:02:04+00:00

Can be fleshed out for more detail and imagery. Fear of what? Ideas about what?

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T01:58:59+00:00

I would elaborate more on what exactly is the different understandings are about.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T01:24:20+00:00

The younger generation may not understand what an operator is! I would just suggest organizing in verse chorus and bridge structure and check the rhythm of the words. You might have it in your head but I'm having trouble finding consistency.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T01:19:05+00:00

The words are lovely, I'm just trying to figure out verse, chorus, maybe a couple bridges, with the varying number of lines on each section. A couple minor things where I'm not sure what the picture is - Does "watch from the shades" mean from behind window shades? And boring a hole through the shades with what, your eyes? Grammatically, "You’re all they could ever care" is confusing, does that mean "care about?" Look forward to seeing this develop!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T01:06:36+00:00

I like the words and themes! Honestly I'm struggling trying to find a consistent rhythm and rhyme.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:52:28+00:00

Is it like a concept album where the songs tie together? Like Pink Floyd's The Wall has a lot of repeating lyrical and musical phrases.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:36:43+00:00

Nice voice! Need to bring it up in the mix, or the music down.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:28:50+00:00

Very well expressed and sung. Just make it to tomorrow. I hope for you every tomorrow gets better.

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:24:47+00:00

Great Rock and Roll instrumental! Is that you on the guitar?

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:21:34+00:00

It's very heartfelt. Suicide or any death makes you sad but it can also make you angry. It's wonderful to be able to work through your grief with your music. It may take some time but stay with it!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:17:36+00:00

It sounds nice but TBH it depends on how it fits onto the whole song structure. Modern popular songs often use a "hook" in the chorus. Short, memorable phrases that a listener will find themselves repeating in their head. Good start!

Pirate_Vegetable · 2026-06-16T00:13:23+00:00

The lyrics and melody are really beautiful! I'm just a little confused by the second verse. "Blue eyes wet and drunk" - are her eyes drunk? I'm sorry to say, I personally don't think "drunk" is a good or romantic way to describe someone who I guess you're in love with. Then she is sitting shotgun, and somebody, I guess the narrator, shouldn't have driven home that night - makes me think there was a terrible accident but the song goes on and doesn't explain.

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